Hobbies and Crafts

Son introduced me to Terry Pratchett many years ago now and I've read nearly all his books (except Raising Steam). I find he has become very predictable but, having said that, I still re-read them from time to time.

If you are going to give him a go Ann I'd start with his earlier ones, such as Colour of Magic, which I think are funnier and less "obvious" somehow

I've seen a couple of his books put on the stage as plays and they have been very funny. In May our local am dram are doing Monstrous Regiment so I'll probably go and see that.

I have never read or fancied Terry Pratchett, who knows though I may like him so might give it a go.

Mersey I have ordered operation Kingfisher onto my Kindle. :-) :-)

And now for something completely different.....

Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett
(part of the discworld series)

Following on from the last 3 releases, it features Moist von Lipwig who has to oversee the introduction of a railway system. Virtually all previous characters except The Witches get a bit-part or mention.

(extract from the blurb - Steam is rising over Discworld, driven by Mister Simnel, the man wi' t'flat cap and sliding rule who has an interesting arrangement with the sine and cosine. Moist will have to grapple with gallons of grease, goblins, a fat controller with a history of throwing employees down the stairs and some very angry dwarfs if he's going to stop it all going off the rails . . .)

Despite TP's affliction with Dementia, it is as well written as the other Moist von Lipwig books.

Hi Ann Operation Kingfisher is the first one in this story but there will be no doubt a sequel .......

I want to get the final book in the Cazalet series by Elizabeth Jane Howard but the kindle edition is £7.99 so Is hall wait a while.

Is operation Kingfisher a sequal Mersey?

Yes Ann its £3.99 at the moment , it only came out in November, I have read all Hilary Green's books, ive thoroughly enjoyed them all......

This recent one is left wide open, she does like to write sequels........well worth a read......

Ann I agree with you about your's and my thread they work very well together, heres to it continuing to be enjoyed by many <3

Well done Tess, enjoy it and we look forward to the review. I do think that maybe this thread and the Greaders review threads sort of work in tandam, so good to get people recommending books with the synopsis. I am pretty sure |I have read the Guernsey one.

Another good one on the same theme is Living with the enemy by Roy McLoughlin, first hand eye witness accounts of life in the Channel Islands while under German occupation.

Mersey that one sounds a good read. Is it on Kindle?

Hi Tess and Vera, great to see you posting as always :-) <3 Its great to think a book maybe mentioned and then passed on to someone else or even to remind us of a great read .........

I have just finished Operation Kingfisher by Hilary Green

Occupied France is a dangerous place for two teenagers, especially when they are the children of a French mother and a British father. Desperate to escape and get back to England they take refuge on a canal barge and find themselves immersed in the complex Operation Kingfisher. There are plenty of forces at work determined to scupper any plans to see Allied airmen safely back to England, and eyes are everywhere. With clandestine operations mounting against the enemy there is one method which remains previously unconsidered: a risky escape via the canals...Hilary Green, presents a thrilling foray into the underground escape routes and fugitive culture of WWII in this new and electrifying novel, which is sure to delight her army of fans.

Ann in Glos,

I collected Putting Out the Stars from the library today. Will be reading it in the next few days. Ready for the GReaders Review!

Vera, I read "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" around 4 years ago.

Was attracted to it because of the highly unusual name.

Loved it, and like you found it moving, funny, touching and an eye-opener.

Didn't realise till later that it was written by an American lady. It all seemed so real. Not sure if Mary Ann Shaffer wrote any more books of fiction.

Would highly recommend it. In fact I reckon it is about time that I read it again.
Thanks for reminding me of this wonderful book.

Read "At Sea" by Laurie Graham. Someone on here mentioned it a while ago (BC perhaps?) and I thought I'd give it a go. Easy, light read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. While the characters were exaggerated of course they were mostly believable and I loved the main character Lady Enid.

Last night I finished "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" which was wonderful. It's a novel by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows and is in the form of letters to and from a writer and her publisher and in particular a number of characters on Guernsey. The letters are written in 1946 so soon after the end of WW2. I knew that the Channel Islands had suffered badly under German occupation but some of the stories that came out in this book were an eye opener to me. I felt the book was well researched. It is funny, moving and in spite of all the sadness it has a real "feel-good" touch about it.

Hi Everyone, haven't been on this thread for a while but have been reading quite a bit.

Among the books I've read are -
Wringland by Sally Spedding.
A mystery horror, ghost and love story all in one book. Set in modern times but the mystery/ghost part of the story takes the reader back to previous lives and times.

Suddenly Single by Sheila O'Flanagan
In contrast to the previous book, this is a light hearted book. An amusing take on things changing suddenly and unexpectedly.

Still Here by Linda Grant

Another author who was new to me. Set in Liverpool, the story harks back to pre-war Dresden. Don't want to say too much (don't want to spoil any of the surprises)- but would recommend this book.
What the family have been told (or believe) about the family is not always true! (As many of us know).

The above were all from the library, so should be easily available.

Have also read -
Making History by Stephen Fry

Found this book in a charity shop, and am very pleased that I did.

The story is about changing history - going back to the past and causing history to change.

Told in a light-hearted manner, this book raises issues of "if I could, should I"

Found it interesting, amusing, and thought provoking.
Highly recommended.

Hoping that my son and grandsons will be taking me to the library soon so that I can get my next batch of books.

Happy reading and Happy New Year.

Happy New Year Bookworms :-D :-D :-D <3

I hope 2014 brings us lots more interesting books and kindle reads for all..... :-) <3

Just read Clare Balding's "My Animals and Other Family", her life from baby to adult but with each chapter devoted to her relationship with a different animal. I enjoyed this one.

I'm feeling a bit disappointed as I didn't get a book or a token this Christmas. It's the first time I can remember not getting either. I'm not ungrateful as I did get lovely gifts from my family but I do look forward to my Christmas book.

Thanks Emma for mentioning the book "Diamonds at Dinner, I have just downloaded it, there is a big difference in price in the kindle to the paperback....so thank you :-D <3

Have finished Highland Surrender and will be
starting..Diamonds at Dinner- My life as a Lady's
Maid in a 1930's Stately Home. by Hilda Newman
priced 99p Amazon.

Emma

Mersey good choice on The Railway Man, OH
read it awhile back and really enjoyed it. :-)

YEs, i had an Amazon voucher which I look forward to spending.

Hi Det.... :-) :-) <3

I hope you got a few vouchers I did..... :-D :-D

I am now reading Railway Man by Eric Lomax

This account of the author's experiences as a Japanese prisoner of war is, as you'd expect, a fairly harrowing one. But what lifts this remarkable tale is the book's humanity and compassion, and the tenderness of its narrative.
Whether Eric Lomax is re-living his childhood fascination with steam locomotives and trams, or describing the horrendous, inhuman acts of torture, the prose are consistently imbued with an almost poetic and innocent sense of wonder.
The details, observations and character sketches are authentically andvividly drawn. But it is the final passages of this book which document the author's determination to come face to face with one of his torturers, that make this extaordinary book so moving, compelling and ultimately uplifting.

it has now been made into a film staring Colin Firth ....